Mechanically-packed packer



Feb. 17, 1925.

Filed Aug. l2, 1924 75 Sheets-Sheet 1 amine,

Feb. 17, 1925. 1,526,411

l. C. BELL MECHANICALLY PACI/{E1} PACKER Flled Aug. l2, 1924 3 Sheets sheet 2 FTE-5 @mfbmh Feb. 17, 1925. 1.526,411

l. C. BELL MECHANI CALLY PACKED PACKERl Flled A112. l2. 1924 3 Sheets sheet 5 llnllllllllllllllvl/A l Patented eb. 17, 1925.

U M T raam natuur arca.

IVAN C. BELL, OF CAMERON, TEXAS.

MECHANICALLY-PACKED PACKER.

Application led August 12, 1924.

To all 'whom t may concern: A

Be it known that I, IVAN C. BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cameron, Milam County, Texas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mechanically-Packed Packers, of which the following isl a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in packers to be employed vin deep -wells It is particularly adapted for use in oil wells, either as a flow packer or as a bottom plug. packer, or for other similar uses.

An object of the invention is to provide `a packer of .the character indicated which may be placed upon a pipe or tubing and to be so formed as to be expanded at any desired elevation in the` well, and to be thereafter released and changed as to posi- Ition in the well.

aeter of packing arranged in strips to be set in a spiral arrangement to close oif the space about the tubing.

Another object is to provide a packer which will remain in contracted position while it is being introduced into the well, and will have provision to prevent its rotation while it isbeing moved downwardly to the position where it is to be expanded. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more clearly appear from the specification which follows, andthe points of the novelty therein will be set forth'in the lclaims appended hereto.

Referring'to the drawing herewith, Fig. 1 is a side view partly in elevation, and partly in vertical section showing a packer embodying my'invention.Y Fig. 2 is a similar view of the uppery portion` of thepacker disclosed in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 isa side eleval'tion of the lower operating portion' of the packer showing the same in expanded position. Figs. l4:,.5 and 6 are transverse sections on the planes l--Llg 5 5 and 6--6, respectively, of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the lower portion of a packer modified slightly to adapt it for use as a bottom -of the upper plug packer,'and Fig. 8 is a similar elevation portion of the modied form shown in Eig. 7.

Serial No. 731,541.

Like numerals of reference are applied to like parts in all the views.

In the drawings I have shown my invention as adapted to be secured upon the lower` end of a string of tubing, extending from the surface down to and beyond the packer. For this purpose I have shown a central pipe 1 taking the place of the ordinary tubing or working barrel employed in pumping operations.) This pipe is secured at its upper end to the sleeve 2, as shown in Fig.

2. It is there secured within a threaded passage 3, the upper end of which is threaded ata for attachment to the main string of tubing. The upper shank or neck of the sleeve 2 is serrated, :is/.shown at 5 to better ladapt it to be engaged by a fishing tool, if occasion arises. The sleeve 2 is an operating screw sleeve, the lower end of which is formed into a nut 6 releasably secured to the main sleeve 2, and formed on its'innerv periphery with a coarse thread to engage.

with the screw member 7. The sleeve 2 is perforated at various points, as shown at 8, to allow the passage of Huid therethrough.

The screw member 7, which is adapted to Y rotate the packing element `connected with my device, is a tubular sleeve fitting rotatably upon the barrel or pipe 1, and threaded at its outer surface by a coarse, flat crested thread cooperating with the screw or nut 6, upon the sleeve 2. At the upper end of the screw sleeve 7 is a threaded rin 9 to close the upper ends of the thread 1n the screw element to limity its downward move- I ment. At the lower end of the screw sleeve 7 are formed a plurality of radially extend- Iing plates 10.- I have shown three of these plates, each adapted to engage with a packing strip which may be attached thereto. On the outer end of each of these plates 1s a downwardly directed ange 11 which hasan opening therein to recelve a screw 12 forming an attachment for the said packing str1p. The lower end 13 of the screw member is also perforated to receive the inner end of said screw 12.

Spaced below the screw member 7 upon v`the pipe 1 is a slidable mandrel 14. Said On the outer face of the mandrel are formed a plurality of downwardly inclined slideways 17. l have shown three of these slideways, as .indicated in Figs. 4 and each slideway projecting radially from the body of the mandrel. At the upper end ot' each of the slideways is a shoulder 1S, above which is a vertical flange 19 furnishing a support for an attaching pin or screw for the lower end of each of the strips of packing material 20. Below lthe slideways 17, the mandrel is reduced in diameter and is cylindrical, as shown at 21. The said cylindricalportion is formed on opposite sides with short radial pins 22 to engage within slots 23 in a lower locking sleeve 24.

Each of the slideways 17 has an outer I plane face 25 upon which dogs or jaws 26 are slidable. Said jaws are-toothed on their outer faces, the teeth being-inclined downwardly to engage the cas'hpg when the device is moved downwardly. ach jaw is supported and held resiliently in position upon the tapered slideway by meanslof spring arms 27, secured at their lower ends upon the locking sleeve 24. The attachment is accomplished by securing the spring arms 27 between the adjacent ends of the sectorshaped plates 29 litting within a groove 30 in the sleeve 24. The adjacent ends of said plates 29 are turned radially outward, and a pin 31 serves to secure the adjacent plates 29 together, and also serves as a pivot for `the spring arms .27. Each of said arms is extended beyond the pin 31 to provide a support 32 against the slde of the sleeve to hold the upper end of the arm inwardly.

The sleeve 24 is adapted to latch releasrably in an'inoperative position by means of a bayonet slot 33. adjacent the upper end thereof, said slot being adapted to receive the pin 22 upon the lower end of the mandrel. The dog operating sleeve 24 is prevented from rotating relative to the casing by means of a plurality of leaf springs 34 which are secured on said sleeve adjacent the lower end thereof by attaching screws I35. These springs are secured to the sleeve at a slight angle from thevertical so as to give the sleeve a tendency to rotate 1n a lefthand direction as viewed from, above, and thus hold the sleeve to the left so as to prevent the pin 22 from working out of the lateral branch of the bayonet slot 33. The upper ends of the said springs bear resiliently outward a sufficient distance to press against the casing' and prevent ordinary rotation of the sleeve 24.

Below the said springs 34 the operating sleeve 24 has a second bayonet slot 36 therein, said slot having a wide lower end tapered upwardly toward the lateral branch thereon,

said slot is adapted to receive a pin 37 formed upon a ring 38 shrunk upon the tubing and secured rigidly thereto. ln this manner the dog operating sleeve 24 is secured adjustably upon the tubing at its lower end, and is attached adjustably to the mandrel 14 at its upper end. The lower operating sleeve is adapted to telescope over the lower end of the mandrel 21, and is recessed at 39 to receive the mandrel.

The packing strips 20 may be of any ilexible packing material, and may even be strips of hemp or rope of any kind, orcanvas, as well as ordinary strips of composition packing. The said strips are secured at the upper ends to the plates 10, and'at their lower` ends to the plates 19, as previously described. The said strips are held under slight tension by means of a compression spring 40, which bears at its upper end against the part 13 of the screw sleeve, and at its lower end against the upper neck of the mandrel. The spring thus tends to hold the mandrel and the screw sleeve resiliently apart.

In the ordinary operation of this device, it is assembled with the parts in the relative positions above described, the dogs, or jaws 2G in inoperative position at the lower ends of the slideways by moving the locking sleeve 24 downwardly and engaging the pins 22 and 37 within the lateraL branches of the bayonet slots 23 and 36, respectively. The device is then secured to the lower end of the tubing, and inserted downwardly to the desired point in the well. It may be placed at the lower end of the tubing, or at any desiredA point intermediate the ends of the tubing.

When the desired point has been reached, the dogs will be unlocked from their inoperative position by rotating a partial turn in a lefthand direction so as to move the pins 22 and 36 into the vertical portion of the. slots in which they are mounted. The

springs 34 will hold the sleeve 24 against` ating sleeve 22 downwardly along the screw` member 7, thus causing the screw member to rotate and at the same time moving the said screw member downwardly relative to the mandrel. This will twist the packing members 20 tightly together, and force them outwardly against the casing, or the walls of the well, thus eectively closing the space between the tubing and the casing.

izenii It it is desired to raise the packer to a higher position in the well thereafter', this may be done by simply pulling upwardly upon the tubing, thus untwisting the packing, and moving the mandrels 14 upwardly so as to release the dogs and allow the movement upwardly of the packer. It it is desired to set the 'packer at a lowei` point, the device will be moved upwardly suiiiciently to raise the pins 22 and 37 to the upper ends of the slots, and the device -will then be rotated a partial turn to lock the sleeve 24, thus allowing the device to be moved downwardly to the new position.

rlhis use ot' the packeris intended to shut oft the passage of Huid, either liquid or gas, between `the tubing and the casing'above or below the packer. It may be employed as the flow packer to coniine the gas so that it will pass upwardly through the tubing, or it may be used to cut off the water from above, away from the oil sand. It it is desired to use the packer asa bottom plug to close ed' water from below the producing sand, the device may be tmodiied as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

In thus employing the packer, it will be `'placed on the lower end of theltubing and said tubing above the sleeve 2 will be perforated, as shown at 4l, to allow the inlet of luid to the tubing above the packer. In such a case, the casing 42 may not extend to the lower end of the hole, and in Figs. 7 and 8 I have indicated the lower portion of the hole as being open without a casing. The packing portion ofthe device is the same as previously described, except that the supporting dogs and sleeves 24 which operate the same, are omitted. The springs 34 are mounted on a supporting. sleeve 24', which is threaded at its lower end 43 to engage with a supporting pipe 44. The lower end of the f tubing is'closed by means of a cap 45 below the sleeve 24. Said sleeve has its upper end 46 telescoping within a collar 47 extending downwardly from the mandrel 14. A pin 22 upon the sleeve 46 is slidable within the slot 33 in the ymember 47.

In the operation of this devicethe parts are' assembled, as shown in the drawing, and

, then lowered in the well until the pipe 44 rests -upon the bottom of the hole. During this operation, the packing will be held in contracted position by springs 40., as'previously described, and the arrangement of the springs 34 will keep the pin 22 within the lateral branch of the slot 33. l/Vhen the a bottom has 4been reached, the device will be rotated a partial turn to bring the pin 22 within the .vertical portion of the slot 33, and the mandrel will be lowered downwardly against the supporting member, bringing thepin- 22 to the lower end of the slot, as

shown in Fig. 7. This will serve to prevent further downward :movement of the mandrel so that the continued downward movement of the tubing will rotate the packing members so as to close the space between the tubing and the walls of the well. This operation is shown as being partially performed in Fig. 8, it being understood that when theI packing is rotated somewhat further and forced together by the sleeve 7, the packing will effectively close the space above the mandrel.

It will be obvious that the mandrel 14 will not be necessary in this construction, except as a supporting member for the lower end of the packing elements. It serves in ordinary purposes as an expanding member `of ordinary construction may be employed as desired. A packer of this kind may be used repeatedly and whenever desired in wells in which the gas pressure is present,

or for purposes of closing oft the entrance of water to the producing stratum. It is simple and accurate in its operation, and

will have many advantages whichy will be obvious to those skilled in the art without further description.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be confined to this particular construction, it

beingobvious that many changes may be made coming within the scope of my inveny.

tion.

What I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters 'Patent is:

l. A packer for wells comprising a central tube, a mandrely slidable thereon, means to anchor said mandrel to the walls of the well, a rotatable screw sleeve spaced above said mandrel, longitudinal strips of fleirible packing material connected between said mandreland said screw sleeve, and means to rotate said screw sleeve packing.

2. A packer for wells com rising a central tube,l a mandrel keyed s idably thereon, means to anchor saidm'andrel to the walls and twist and expand said leo of the well, a rotatable screw sleeve above said mandrel, a spring on said tube spacing said sleeve from said mandrel, a pluiaa rality of packing strips connecting said,

mandrel and sleeve, and means to rotate and depresssaid sleeve and packing.

3. A packer for wells comprising a central p tube, a mandrel keyed slidably thereon,

Bo l for supporting jaws, and is shown in the means to anchor said mandrel to the walls of the well, a rotatable screw sleeve above said mandrel, a spring on said tube spacing said sleeve from said mandrel, a plurality of packing strips connecting` said mandrel and sleeve, and means to rotate and depress said sleeveand packing, comprising an .operating sleeve having threaded enga-gement with said screw sleeve. v

4. A packer for wells comprising a tube, a mandrel slidable on said tube, means lto ant-hor said mandrel to the walls of the well and support said tube, a series of ilexible packing-strips secured to said mandrel in normally vertical position and means to twist and depress said packing strips.

5. In a packer for wells, a tube, an operating sleeve thereon', a screw sleeve engaging witliin'said operating sleeve, said screw sleevejbeing rotatable on said tube, a mandrel spaced resiliently below said screwsleeve, longitudinal Astrips of flexible packing connected between said screw sleeve and said mandrel, meansto secure said mandrel nonrotatably to the walls of the well, and means to` depress said operating sleeve, rotate said screw sleeve and twist and expand said packing. j

6. a packer for wells, al cylindrical memberyan operating sleeve thereon, a rotatablescrew sleeve engaging within said 'operating sleeve, a mandrel nonrotatable on said tube below said screw sleeve, strips of flexible packing secured to said mandrel andsaid screw sleeve, and means to anchor said mandrel to the walls of the well, where- `memben,l a mandrel slidable mountably thereon, packing strips secured to the upper end thereof, and .means slidable rotatably on said cylindrical member to twist and depress said'packing strips. j

'8. In a packer for wells, a` tubular member, packing .strips longitudinally thereof,v

means to support said strips and means to twist said packing strips on saidtube and depressfaiid expandA the same.

9. Ina packer for wells, a tube, packing strips longitudinally of said tube, nonrotatable means, to which said strips are connected at one end, means rotatable on said tubeconnected to sa'idstrips at the other end. and means to rotate said last mentioned means.,V j 1 `10.,In a packer tor wells, a tube, a nonrotatable supporting member slidable on ,said tube, la'rotatalole member spaced resilien'tly above 'said supporting member, strips oli flexible packing connected between :said members, and means operated by depressing said tube to twist and expand said packing.

11. In a packer for wells, a tube, a mandrel keyed slidably thereon, downwardly tapered slideways on said mandrel, a locking sleeve below said mandrel, jaws slidable .drel keyed slidably thereon, downwardly tapered slideways on said mandrel, a locking sleeve below said mandrel, jaws slidable on said slideways, resilient means on said locking sleeve to hold said jaws on said slideways, means. to resist rotation ol said locking sleeve, land a. packer above said mandrel adapted to be expanded when said tube is ldepressed relative to said mandrel, and means to limit the `downward movement of saidtube.

13. In a packer for wells, a tube, a downwardly tapered mandrel slidable thereon, a locking sleeve below said mandrel, jaws resiliently supported on said locking sleeve bearing against said mandrel, meansreleasable on the rotation of said tube to hold said jaws in position at the lower endot said mandrel, a packer above said mandrel and means to rotate and depress said packer when said tube is depressed relative to said mandrel. i

14C. In a packer for wells, a tube, a sleeve rotatable thereon, a packing' stripsecured end of said packing strip, and means operable as said tube is depressed in said supporting means to rotate said sleeve and twist and expand said packing.

15. In. a packer for wells, a tube, a plurality ot packing, strips supported longitudinally of said tube, means slidable relative to said tube to support one end of said strip, and means operable when said tube is in the well to twist and expand said packing strips.

116. In a packer for wells, a tube, a downwardly tapered mandrel slidable nonrotatably thereon, strips of flexible packing material secured to the upperV end of said mandrel, means to which the upper end of said packing is connected to twist and com- 100 to said sleeve, means to support the lower 

